favorite things...

Love came down at Christmas; Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas, stars and angels gave the sign.
~ Christina Rossetti

It's the season for making lists and checking them twice, for giving friends and family an idea on what it is you want or need {depending on if you prefer practical or frivolous presents}, and recalling the "favorites". That recipe of your great-aunt's, the carols you sing every year, the fresh Christmas pajamas that you receive like clockwork every Christmas Eve.

And for some of my friends, this is when they start compiling lists of the greatest movies, albums, or books released this past year. One even puts together a pictorial of the major events that have occurred in her life. Each picture bears a caption, every story a thousand memories.

So this post is devoted to a cross between all those things... and I hope you enjoy it.

First things first, however, is a great album I stumbled upon and am so grateful I picked up, if for no other reason than this song. "Winter Song" is a collaboration by two of my favorite singer-songwriters Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson and was written for the release of The Hotel Cafe presents Winter Songs. I would've loved to embed the video for you directly, but alas that feature was disabled. It is sweet and poignant, touching on loss, hope and love. Every time I listen to it, I find myself thinking of a line of poetry from Ella Wheeler Wilcox: When Christmas bells are swinging above the fields of snow, we hear sweet voices ringing from lands of long ago, and etched on vacant places are half-forgotten faces of friends we used to cherish, and loves we used to know.

And now, a few snapshots from my house and some of my most favorite things...



I captured this shot looking down into a large apothecary jar I filled with white buttons of all shapes and sizes, a few vintage bakelite pins, a small pearl cuff bracelet, and a deliciously tarnished silver star. I placed a large pearl choker around the neck of the jar and it fit perfectly. Doesn't it look wintery?



I love to collect vintage photographs, especially when they include dogs. When you stop to think about how expensive photography was at that time, the fact that people would choose to include their pets indicates an abiding love and sense of priority. Perhaps this would be the only image of the pet they'd ever have. This darling photographic postcard was snagged at a local flea market I shop at dawn on Sundays {I have it perfectly timed for travel and shopping so that I still make it to church on time!} in the spring and summer. The hats, muffs and wraps almost make it seem like the little girls are playing dress-up, with their beloved pup sitting prim and proper for the occasion.



Another dog photograph, this one of my grandmother circa 1925 with the puppy and outfit { complete with hat! } she had received for her birthday. The little gold frame in the forefront was a flea market treasure that is content to wait until I find the perfect image for it.





I adore monograms and engraving as found on trinkets and jewelry. The silver piece is another flea market find and is a sterling collapsible drinking cup. Love it! Another piece that makes me smile everytime I see it is the tiny bracelet that is engraved "Hoops Major". Doesn't it just sound like a character's name from some heartwarming Hoosiers-esque movie?



I am not a francophile on the whole, preferring an eclectic English/Grand Tour feel, but I couldn't resist sharing this pair that are perched on my farm table turned desk. The mother-of-pearl opera glasses are just one set from my growing collection and the jewelry box is a treasure I picked up during some retail therapy at The Green Velvet in Granville, Ohio. If you are ever near Columbus, Granville definitely warrants a visit. There is a darling cafe that has gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches on the menu just a few doors down. Not to mention the amazing architecture, quaint historic homes, and the campus of Denison University.



Something that came about totally by chance. I got a small stash of these cement angels into the shop this holiday, and treated myself to just one. But it needed something where I nestled it. A little bit of sparkle and... voila! A darling { and inexpensive } adornment from the wedding aisle of a certain mega store. A child's tiara is the perfect cherub crown. As Heather would say, "Love!"



Another auction find. It's missing some pieces and is fragile with age, but I love the idea of a homemade toy carriage with a swan pulling it. Makes me think of what darling little child once received this under their Christmas tree.



I love statuary, whether it is made from concrete, marble, bisque or porcelain. Isn't the expression on this little miss precocious and sweet? Oh, and in the background, another apothecary jar filled with large silver and gold indented Shiny Brite ornaments. { In the meantime, I've poured mother-of-pearl buttons all around the gaps. } Another pearl cuff encircles the stem and a vintage pocketwatch dangles from a super yummy chocolate silk ribbon.





Some of my favorite cameos on display. If you haven't picked up on a theme yet, I love things that are sentimental and tender. On the back of the gold pocketwatch is inscribed {in the thinest, most delicate hand ever} "Thy God Seeth Thee".



If you ever happen to be in Cincinnati on the second Sunday of the month from April to October, make a point to visit the Antique Fair in Covington's historic Mainstrasse district. There are lots of quality dealers with incredible one-of-a-kind finds. Some things can inch towards the high-end but every once in a while a bargain can be found, like this tarnished compact with a broken latch. What do a few imperfections matter with an inset portrait, hmmm?

There seems to be some sort of issue with blogger tonight, so I shall end this post here and finish it up in a second entry.